After a weekend off, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series gets back to business with Sunday’s Toyota/SaveMart 350 at Sonoma Raceway.
The first of two road course races in the next seven, Sonoma could be a very pivotal race, particularly for drivers who still have not made the Chase for the Sprint Cup.
With 11 races left in the regular season, drivers who have been winless in 2015 like Jamie McMurray, Jeff Gordon, Kasey Kahne, Aric Almirola, Ryan Newman, Clint Bowyer, Tony Stewart, Greg Biffle, Danica Patrick and others know that time is running out on them to make the Chase.
Over the last several races, Sonoma has been a place where drivers not normally known for their road course prowess have ultimately wound up in victory lane, including Kurt Busch (2011), Clint Bowyer (2012), Martin Truex Jr. (2013) and Carl Edwards last season.
This is a rather unique weekend for NASCAR overall, as the Xfinity Series is off, the last off-weekend before a run of 16 straight races. The next Xfinity race is July 4 at Daytona International Speedway.
Likewise, the Camping World Truck Series is off for the next two weekends, returning July 9 at Kentucky.
Here’s how the weekend shapes up (all times listed are Eastern):
FRIDAY, JUNE 26
10 am – 9:30 pm – Sprint Cup garage open
3 pm – 4:55 pm – Sprint Cup practice (Fox Sports 2)
6:30 pm – 7:55 pm – Final Sprint Cup practice (Fox Sports 2)
SATURDAY, June 27
10 am – 7 pm – Sprint Cup garage open
2:15 pm – Sprint Cup qualifying (Fox Sports 1, PRN)
SUNDAY, JUNE 28
10 am – Sprint Cup garage open
1 pm – Driver/crew chief meeting
2:30 pm – Driver introductions
3 pm – Toyota/SaveMart 350 race (110 laps, 218.9 miles) (Fox Sports 1, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
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